Eye See You

• Thasuni Kumbukage, Grade 6, Moreton Bay College
• Short Story
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'Summertime Fun ONLINE' competition

The forest attained an eerie sound through the puzzle of ubiquitous trees. Darkness disseminated in the silver moonlight. Elyssa charismatically strolled across in the deafening silence. Alone and isolated she effortlessly rowed her minute boat. Muttering incoherently, Elyssa hid in the shadows departing her boat untouched. Rustle. Rustle.
Starting at the inconceivable central moon, Elyssa wiped the blood on her arm, glanced at her sangria bracelet and roamed to her deserted tent. The warm light of the sweet afternoon sprinkled around her. Breathing heavily, Elyssa scrutinised the features of the luscious forest. In the forest lay an endless palette of colours. Her eyes drifted beyond the natural habitat of life to the haunted woods. She hesitated until she noticed an invisible blanket of a series of footprint marks. A flood of questions crowded her mind. Whose are these? I have been the only person to set foot here for years. The peculiar thought bothered her continuously. The regular feeling of this nightmare crept up on her since day one. Subconsciously biting her lip, she falteringly walked back with apprehensive behaviour. In the corner of her eye, a rustle of footsteps whispered to her strangely. All the lies she had heard were now untold. Rustle. Rustle. Strike!
All that interested her was the heavy but silent noise. Fearfully Elyssa turned around in the darkness but when that moment passed the rustle and figure disappeared. Fortunately, a pool of hope remained. “A clue,” Elyssa muttered under her breath. The forest was old and antique with brick-like colours now as midnight rose alive. Discomfort gripped her when her hands reached for a camera on the ground. Without a second thought, she flicked through the camera roll. Only a few seconds later, images appeared, making her jaw drop. A handful of shock grabbed her as the images revealed something that only stalkers do, an album of her life in the forest. Then it struck her, she had been watched.
A stroke of confusion faced her. Why would someone watch her? Is this how the outsiders strike? The luscious forest had turned into a haunted wood. Slate and silver colours passed by. Her enemies list was long but no one hated her enough to stalk her. She had heard stories about the haunting dark spy of Verve Valley but knew that the stories were unbelievable. At an early age, Elyssa grew up in this ancient forest and was taught the advantages and disadvantages and how to stay alive. Was this what they were preparing her for? Would this lead to something life-risky?
With a curious mixture of ideas, Elyssa tried to track down the culprit behind this mess. The only clue that remained was the device that stood inches away. Surprisingly a shocking two letters were engraved in the camera that she recognised. K and S. Within the second Elyssa knew exactly who the culprit was. Kiera Smith. The main figure in Elyssa Dickens’s life.